Heating system



R. E. MOOR 2,258,336

HEATING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 23, 1940 KNMI " emma oar, 1941 vUNITED STATI-:s PATENT OFFICE HEATING SYSTEM Robert E. Moore, Park Ridge, Ill.

Application September 23, 1940, Serial No. 357,846

7 Claims. (Cl. 237-8) My invention relates to hand or stoker fired, hot water heating systems and more particularly to an arrangement for preventing the boiler water from reaching an excessive temperature.

In modernly equipped, hot water heating systems which are hand or stoker fired and in which the boiler water is therefore subjected to continuous heat, circulation of water through the system is effected by a pump which establishes a pressure sufficient to open a valve in at least the supply line to the radiator. This valve closes by gravity when the lpump stops. The operation of this pump is either controlled by a room thermostat which is responsive to the demand of the associated space for heat, or by a boiler aquastat which serves as a high limit switch and closes the circuit to the pump when the temperature of the boiler water attains a predetermined maximum figure. In the former case, the pump acts to produce a beneficial heating effect in the radiating units of the system. while in the latter, the excess heat of the boiler water is dissipated through the same units so that abnormal heating of the boiler water is prevented.

In another type of system, the water is circulated thermogravitationally, but a motor operated valve is located in the supply line to the radiator which is controlled by the room thermostat.

One operating disadvantage of the foregoing systems is that, in the event of a failure of the electric power, the pump or the motor operated valve is unable to function and the temperature of the boiler water begins to rise. This rise may be accelerated by the fact that the valve in the supply line confines the boiler water to a relatively srnall space. Moreover, the failure of the vice outlets. This liming condition is continuously aggravated by recurrent periods of overheating.

It is, therefore, one object of my invention to automatically prevent overheating of the boiler water in a hot water heating system by means whose operation does not require electric power,

but is thermally responsive solely to the temperature ofthe boiler water.

A further object is to devise a flow control Valve that is responsive to the operation of a circulating pump also to the temperature of the boiler water and opens to permit a thermogravitational flow through the system when the boiler water attains a predetermined temperature.

These and further objects of my invention will be set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and the novel means by which said objects are effectuated will be definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a typical hot water heating system showing the application of my invention thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the flow control unit which regulates the flow of water to the radiating portion of the system.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation similar to that shown in Fig. 2 showing a modified type of flow control unit.

Refening to the drawing, the numeral III designates a coal red boiler which may be either hand or stoker fired and which is connected by supply and `retiu'n lines II and I2, respectively, to any desired heating system provided with the usual radiators (not shown). A circulating pump I3 is located in the return line I2 but may be positioned at` any other convenient portion of the system for the purpose of establishing a forced circulation of the water through the system in response to the heat demands of a room thermostat Il to which the pump is electrically connected.

A nipple I5 forming a pant of the supply line II is mounted in the boiler and has its outer end fastened to a valve housing I6. The length of the nipple is made sufficiently short to insure that the inlet passage I1 of the housing will a1- ways contain water substantially at boiler temperature, while the outlet passage I8 is connected to the portion of the supply line II leading directly to the radiators. l

In Fig. 2 the passages I1 and I8 are denoted as having a right angle relation, although this particular type of construction does not form an important part ofi the invention and the junction of these passages defines a valve port I9 that is closed by a vertically reciprocable valve 20. This valve closes by gravity action and is normally opened by pressure established by the circulating pump I3. Its vertical movements are guided by a stem 2| that extends upwardly through a cap 22 which closes the top portion of the valve housing I6 and the valve may be manually raised to an open position by a hand grip 23 provided on the stem 2| acting in conjunction with a collar 24 on the stem which engages a shoulder 25 formed on the valve.

In order to insure an opening of the valve 20 in the event that the electric power to the pump I3 is interrupted and thereby prevent overheating of the boiler, a thermostat 26 is disposed withinthe passage I'I. This unit comprises a spider ring 2'I which is threaded in the lower end of the valve housing and mounted in the central portion of this ring is a stem 28 boiler is `effectively protected against all possibility of overheating regardless of the failure of the electric power to the pump and regardless of the length of time during which such failure persists. Moreover, my improved device eliminates the high limit aquastat that is ordinarily mounted in the boiler to insure operation of the pump whenever the boiler water temperature reaches a dangerous point.

In Fig. 3 is illustrated a modification of the flow control device which differs from that illustrated in Fig. 2 merely by the use of a valve 31 that has secured to the upper end thereof an open top casing 29. The open end of the casing is closed by a disk 30 and from the underside thereof depends a bellows or Sylphon element 3| whose lower end is closed by a plate 32. The bellows 3| is shown in its fully extended position and under these conditions the plate 32 is spaced a convenient distance from the bottom wall of the casing 29. The lower end of a stem 33 is secured to the plate 32 and extends upwardly within the bellows and through an aperture 34 in the disk 30 whose area is greater than the crosssectional area of the stem 33 so that the interior of the bellows 3| is always filled with water at boiler temperature. In the position of the bellows shown in Fig. 2, the upper end of the stem 33 is in proximity to the underside of the valve 20.

The interior of the casing 29 is filled with alcohol or any of the other liquids commonly employed in thermostats of this general type and this liquid may be introduced into the casing through a passage 35 in the stem 28 which may thereafter be sealed by a plug 3G. From the foregoing it will be understood, therefore, that the liquid in the casing 29 is always in heat exchanging relation to the water in the passage I'I and within the bellows 3|.

In the ordinary operation of the system the parts comprising the thermostat 26 are in the several positions shown in Fig. 2, i. e., one in which the valve 2|] occupies the closed position shown, and circulation of the water is effected by the pump I3 in response to the demands of the room thermostat AI4 for heat. During pump operation the valve 20 is raised by the pressure established in the system sufficiently to open the valve port I9 and permit flow from the passage I'| into the passage I3 and thence to the radiators.

If the electric power which operates the pump I3 should fail for any reason, or if the thermostat I4 should be set suiiciently high the thermostat 26 provides a means for insuring a thermogravitational now of water through the systern and thus prevent overheating of the boiler water. The thermostat may be adjusted to open the valve 20 at any desired temperature of the boiler water such as 220 F. or 225 F., for example, and when the boiler water reaches this temperature the liquid in the casing 29 expands and causes an upward collapse of the bellows 3| Aand therefore an upward movement of the stem 33 sufficient to open the valve 20.

The foregoing arrangement, as can be readily understood from an examination of Fig. 2, provides an improved valve construction that may be conveniently inserted in any hot water heating system with an absolute assurance that the which corresponds in position and function to the valve 20 but which is normally moved to an open position by a motor 38 that is electricallyl connected to a thermostat (not shown) similar to ,the thermostat I4. Closure of this valve is effected by a spring 39. 'Ihe remainder of the device and its operation is similar to that already described.

It will be understood that the application of the invention is not restricted to hand or stoker fired boilers and that these terms are intended to be generally representative of any boiler forming part of a hot waterheating system and which is continuously subjected to heat.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for preventing overheating of the boiler water of a heating system equipped with a room thermostat comprising a housing for insertion in the supply line leading from and sufciently close to the boiler to insure that the water in the housing inlet is substantially at boiler temperature, a valve for controlling ow through the housing and adapted to be opened in response to the demand of the thermostat for heat, and thermostatie means responsive to the temperature of the water in the inlet and operative to open the Valve when the boiler water attains a predetermined temperature.

2. Apparatus for preventing overheating of the boiler water of a heating system provided with a pump responsive to a room thermostat for establishing a forced circulation of the Awater through the system comprising a housing for insertionin thesupply line leading. from and sufciently close to the boiler to insure that the water in the housing inlet is substantially at boiler temperature, a valve forv controlling flow through the housing and adapted to be opened by pressure established by the pump, and thermostatic means responsive to the temperature ofthe boiler water and operable to open the valve when the boiler water attains a predetermined temperature. l

3. Apparatus for preventing overheating of the boiler water of a heating system equipped with a room thermostat comprising a housing f or insertion in the supply line leading from and sufficiently close to the boiler to insure that the water in the housing inlet is substantially at boiler temperature7 a valve for controlling ow through the housing and adapted to be opened in response to the demand of the thermostat for heat, and thermostatic means responsive to the temperature of the water in the inlet and having a reciprocable stem engageable with the valve to open the same when the boiler Water attains a predetermined temperature.

4. Apparatus for preventing overheating of the boiler water of a heating system equipped with a room thermostat comprising a housing for in- I sertion in the supply line leading from and sufciently close to the boiler to insure that the water in the housing inlet is substantially at boiler temperature, a valve for controlling iiow through the housing and adapted to be opened in response to the demand of the thermostat for heat, and thermostatic means comprising a hol low casing located in the housing inlet, a collapsible chamber within the casing constantly filled with water at boiler temperature, and a stem secured to a wall of the chamber and projecting through the casing into operating relation to the valve, the casing containing a liquid in heat exchange relation to the water in the housing and chamber whereby a predetermined rise in temperature of the liquid effects a collapse of the chamber and an opening ofthe valveby the stem.

5. Apparatus for preventing overheating of the boiler water of a heating system equipped with a room thermostat comprising a housing for insertion in the supply line leading from and sufiiciently close to the boiler to insure that the water in the housing inlet is substantially at boiler temperature, a normally Aclosed valve for controlling ow through the housing, and rst and second means independently operable to open the valve, theflrst means being operable in response to the demand of the thermostat for heat and the second means being responsive to` a predetermined temperature of the boiler water.

6. In a hot water heating system provided with a room thermostat, the combination of a boiler having supply and return lines adapted for connection to radiating devices, a pump for forcibly circulating Water through the system in response to the demand of the` thermostat for heat, a valve in the supply line normally closed to prevent passage of water and opened by pump pressure, and thermostatic means responsive to the temperature of the boiler Water and operable to open the valve when the boiler water attains a predetermined temperature.

7. In a hot water heating system provided with a room thermostat, the combination of a boiler having supply and return lines adapted for connection to radiating devices, a valve in the supply line for controlling flow therethrough and adapted to be opened in response to the demand of the thermostat for heat, and thermostatic means responsive to the temperature ofthe boiler water and operable to open the valve when the boiler water attains a predetermined temperature.

ROBERT E. MOORE'. 

